Local police union reacts to NY cop shooting

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV.com) -- Changes will be made locally to increase the safety of police officers following the shooting deaths of two NYPD officers on Saturday.

"This is one of the most dangerous times in recent U.S. history to be a police officer," said Jeff Roorda, business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association.

Roorda told News 4's Robin Smith that safety is on the minds of the more than 11,000 organization members and that Chief of Police Sam Dotson has promised to increase safety for his officers.

Effective immediately, dispatchers must attempt to warn officers of any possible ambush. Additionally, officers will wear their bulletproof vests more often and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department will try to have two officers on every call.

Tim Fitch, former St. Louis County Police Chief, believes that police are not getting the help they need from the community after the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Protesters in St. Louis, however, have said that the killings of police officers in New York were unacceptable.

"My heart goes out to the family because I don't condone violence... I do not condone any killing," Mztay Bennett of the Universal African American People Organization said. "But at the same time, my heart goes out to the family of those who lost their child to police brutality."

Two New York Police Department officers were shot on Saturday in retaliation for the chokehold death of Eric Garner.